Testimony time!

Sunday night church always included ‘testimony time.’ I usually hated it because it so predictable. Too often the same saints stood up and told the same stories about long ago spiritual victories or woes using the same tired phrases. But every now and then testimony time caught fire when somebody stood up and started to talk about what God did that week. They would get carried away in the Spirit. That was not boring or predictable. Being a Pentecostal church, those testimony times got emotional as the saints shouted, bawled, laughed, and clapped.

Today, it’s testimony time!

Around 2:30 this morning, I woke up thinking about life’s challenges, personally and in the lives of friends and family. In some ways, the last 12 months have been one of the most difficult in my life. Losing my Dad in February caused an emotional wound that is still tender. The economy nearly teetered into a depression which threatened the livelihood of many I know and love. As I was praying through those problems, the Spirit came near and brought to mind the amazing grace of God that I have known in the middle of all this.

-It was my privilege to spend a lot of time with my Dad in those months of illness before his death, creating a treasure store of memories.

-My experience of ministry has never been more personally fulfilling than it is at this time in my life.

-As my children have walked through trials of new endeavors, I have watched them grow emotionally and spiritually.

-The ministry I am so blessed to lead has endured the recession without faltering financially.

-Our Christian school enrolled 50 new children this year!

-Annual ministry reports submitted last month showed that our church, while not perfect, is strong and healthy.

For all these things, and more, I wanted to break out in song in the middle of the night. Yes, this Pentecostal pastor is crying as he writes these words, overflowing with gratitude to my Savior.

God is good and I am blessed, not with a trouble-free life, but with His Presence and peace guiding through it all! We used to sing a chorus from the Psalm that started with this line. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” In other words, “Speak up and let the world know about God’s goodness! A contemporary translation of that same passage says:
"All of you set free by God, tell the world!” It goes on to say, “Tell how he freed you from oppression, Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas. Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live, Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time; He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live. " (Psalm 107:2-7, The Message)

If you’re in the valley, fighting to hang onto hope, I pray that my words today are encouraging. God weeps with us in our trials, stands with us even when we cannot see Him in the deep darkness, and leads us out into the light. It’s a cycle that we will experience time and again while we make this pilgrimage to His Home. Testimony time need not rehearse only the woes, need not just be a boring recitation of faded glories. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”

Here’s a word from the Word. Read and re-read it today with ever increasingly faith in the goodness of our God.
"A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”

Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!
Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.
Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest." (Psalm 126, NLT)
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God is good all the time.
He put a song of praise,
In this heart of mine;
God is good all the time.
Through the darkest night,
His light will shine;
God is good,
God is good all the time.

If you're walking through the valley,
And there are shadows all around,
Do not fear, He will guide You,
He will keep you safe and sound.
He has promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you, and His Word is true.

We were sinners so unworthy,
Still for us He chose to die;
Filled us with His Holy Spirit,
Now we can stand and testify,
That His love is everlasting,
And His mercies, they will never end.

Though I may not understand,
All the plans You have for me,
My life is in Your hands,
And through the eyes of faith,
I can clearly see.

God Is Good All The Time

Moen, Don / Overstreet, Paul
© 1995 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / Scarlet Moon (Admin. by Copyright Management, Inc.)CCLI License No. 810055

A Dangerous Enemy of Christ?

A website that claimed to be written by “Christian watchmen” with the mission of protecting the “Truth” caught my attention when I was doing a search to get some background on a man whose writings have inspired and informed me. The page I read ripped into this man, whose is an influential Christian, as a “dangerous enemy of Christ.” Among his ‘errors’ were his acceptance of women in ministry and his belief that disciples were called to build God’s Kingdom here on earth through social concern for the weak, the poor, and the oppressed in addition to preaching the Gospel. On both issues there are serious difference of opinion among followers of Jesus Christ, but, these are not cardinal doctrines that should divide us.

Truth is a difficult issue. It will divide people. It should and it does! If pressed to renounce Christ Jesus as the Savior and Lord, I would sacrifice family, friend, personal security, and hopefully - life itself - before letting go of the conviction that He is God come to earth, to live as a Man, who died to make the way for us to be restored to our Father, and who rose again with the promise of eternal life for all who trust His merciful grace. For me that is the Truth and about that I cannot compromise. However, I won’t fight with you about which Bible translation is ‘the’ true one. Devout disciples differ about which day is the right one for worship, about modes of baptism, about spiritual gifts in the Church today, about what is ‘right’ for a Christian to eat or drink. I have convictions about those things, but my beliefs about these matters are not what makes me right with God. My salvation is fixed on Christ alone.

We Christians so quickly forget the principle taught by the Word that urges tolerance on matters of conscience, don’t we? A combination of fear and pride causes us to elevate our tribal traditions over our love for others! Raised a Pentecostal, it is easy for me to think that “I know about matters of the Spirit” and look down on those raised in a contemplative tradition that shows little outward enthusiasm in their faith practices.

In the book of Romans, Paul teaches us the principle of loving respect for one another. "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble." (Romans 14:16-20, NLT) Do you see his main points? Our highest goal is to live ‘in the Spirit’ having a deep love and devotion for the Person of God. The Bible says that if we ‘keep step with the Spirit’ we will please God! Our second goal is to preserve those who live with us in the Body of Christ. Gentle respect causes us to avoid taking offence or being an offender!

Wow, that sounds just like what Jesus taught us about being His disciples.
Remember His words? Love God! Love others!

"One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?”

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” (Mark 12:28-31, The Message)

His words are not simple, nor is putting them into practice easy, but they are clear and unambiguous. Before you pick up your sword to take a swing at another, think and pray about the issue that divides. Is it really a matter requiring war? Ask yourself: would tolerance of that divergent point of view be compromise of a cardinal doctrine and therefore a matter of sin; or would it demonstrate a gentle respect for a difference of understanding of God’s Word?

Here’s a word from the Word. May it guide us in our defense of Truth.

"For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. …

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." (Ephesians 4:4-6, 11-15, NLT)
________________

The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the word.
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.

Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses;
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the three in one,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won;
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.


The Church's One Foundation
Stone, Samuel J. / Wesley, Samuel S.© Public Domain

It all comes down to…

Joanna’s funeral was a tearful occasion for me and I had only a passing acquaintance with her! She never headed any national ministries, coordinated city-wide efforts, or wrote trendy books. She had no money! But, she was rich. Proverbs 31 came alive at that little church in Kearny, NJ for an hour yesterday. "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." (Proverbs 31:28, NIV) After an encounter with tragedy in 1970 when one of her children died in infancy, Joanna’s life took a turn. She dedicated herself to loving all God’s children and became mother to all; a foster parent to uncounted numbers, a Sunday School teacher, a grandma celebrated in song, a Mom to adults she believed to be in need of advice, both solicited and unsolicited. Don’t read me wrong today. It was no maudlin affair. It was a celebration of an authentic person, of a life well-lived.

What a contrast to another funeral I attended this same month. At that gathering a handful of people remembered a person who lived life on his own terms. Jim (not his real name) was described as a ‘self-made man.’ His only legacy was a small business that consumed him until his passing. He had no time for God, no desire for self-sacrifice, little that made his life memorable beyond the wealth he had accumulated for his family. It was a truly sad occasion.

It all comes down to what and/or who we love.

• Do I love God and therefore let the things of the Spirit guide me?
• Or, am I focused on now, gaining all my hands can hold?

Jesus said it is the most basic choice and from that choice our life takes its direction. “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both. “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body." (Matthew 6:24-25, The Message)

If we "love the Lord God with all (our) passion and prayer and intelligence and energy," (Mark 12:30, The Message) our whole life will be changed, radically re-oriented from Self to Spirit, from scrambling to own to generously sharing, from dread of death to anticipation of life, from fear to faith! There is a persistent lie that loving God will limit life, that such a life means being locked into a constricting set of religious rules. How sad. In Him, we find liberation from the things that make us small people!

Just for today, I challenge you to ask yourself just one question throughout the day:
At this moment, am I facing towards God, the Spirit, guided by love?
It sounds much more simple than it is in practice. You’ll find yourself more courteous on the road, less inclined to speak poorly of another, unwilling to take advantage of someone, generous, kind, and hopeful. Life is lived one day at time. So, if the love of God guides you today, then tomorrow, and then the day after that – you will find this prayer bearing abundant fruit for God’s glory.

Here’s my prayer today, for you and for myself:
"I keep asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—His holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms."
(Ephesians 1:17-20, NLT)
______________


Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing
Always and only for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Take My Life And Let It Be Consecrated

Havergal, Frances R. / Cox, Joe / Lindh, Jody W.
Public Domain

Church! Who needs it?

The members of Washington Assembly came together for the Annual Meeting last night. What many people see as just a legal necessity required by our church's constitution was a holy time of inspiration. Various ministries within the church reported their efforts. I wish critics of the church could have listened in. Our little church is an active force in this community working to do what Jesus told His Church to do here in our corner of the world.
Pat reported that about a half ton of food passes through our food pantry to feed 35-40 families a week!
Lisa reported on our cooperative work with Family Promise, when about once every 10 weeks, we turn the lower level of our Family Fellowship Center into a home for the homeless, loving them, feeding them, keeping them safe for Christ’s sake.
Cindy reported on the 165 children that find a home away from home in our schools, a place to be nurtured in God’s ways while learning their academic lessons.
Bob’s work in keeping our grounds attractive was noted, too. And, is that not spiritual work, too? Yes, of course, we do the ‘normal’ church work of coming together to worship. From that place, we go out to do the work of God’s kingdom!

I opened our meeting with a reminder of the importance of ALL the work, the ‘up front’ stuff and the hidden services in His Name. In speaking of the Church and those who part of it, the Word says, "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!" (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, The Message)

Bill Hybels, pastor Willow Creek Church, Barrington, Ill., writes, "Imagine a church where leaders lead, educators educate, worshippers worship, singers sing, givers give." I don't have to try to imagine. I see it every day! Last night I did not sense a lot of competing to be the 'greatest.' Nor did I sense a room where people were burnt-out by doing things for which they have no calling or passion.

As I went to bed, thinking and praying about the reports and those who presented them, the Spirit reminded me that there is no way this side of Heaven to grasp the full impact of the work that is being done for Jesus Christ. We simply cannot know which of those who received a bag of groceries was also touched by Christ's compassion. We cannot know which boy that Rangers took on a wilderness experience met God in the woods in a way that kept him from drifting into delinquency. We cannot know at what moment, in our Christian school, a child was profoundly influenced by a godly teacher to become a true disciple of Jesus.

But God knows! And His rewards for those who use the gifts of the Spirit He has given to the Church will find a wonderful reward in eternity. The Word tells us that "God doesn't miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you've shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it. And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them. "
(Hebrews 6:10-12, The Message)

Do YOU know the joy of service?
Are you finding opportunities to feed the hungry, care for the sick (physically, emotionally, spiritually), help someone who is hurt, teach someone the Way, point someone to Christ, say a word that reflects the love of Christ?

Then you share in the inheritance that is set aside for those who serve the Master. Steady on, disciple: Not for fame, nor earthly glory, but for the eternal prize that will never fade.
When Paul was imprisoned in Rome and facing his execution, he sent this benediction to Timothy, a young pastor he had trained for service. His reminder is a call to faithful service.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—
and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-9, NIV)
___________________________________


For a glimpse of Washington Assembly at work, see our websites:
http://www.washingtonag.com/ and

http://www.gscacademy.com/